Episodes

In this episode of Healthcare for Humans, host Raj Sundar interviews Shankar Rai, a pioneering plastic surgeon from Nepal. Shankar shares his incredible journey, from being the sole healthcare provider in a remote area without access to surgical facilities, to becoming the creator of Nepal's first medical residency program for plastic reconstructive surgery. He discusses the importance of long-term support and training for surgeons in their own countries, highlighting the significant impact and ...

In this episode of Healthcare for Humans, Dr. Raj Sundar is interviewed by Dr. Anne Liebel on her podcast, 10 Minutes to Better Communication. Dr. Sundar discusses the story behind Healthcare for Humans and his journey to provide better care to culturally diverse communities. He shares his experiences communicating with patients with different values and worldviews and how he turned to podcasting as a medium to explore and learn about culture in a nuanced and engaging way. Through storytelling a...

In today's episode, we have a special treat for you as we recap the North American Refugee Health Conference (NARHC) held in Calgary, Canada. This conference, hosted by the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers, brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, and community scholars to discuss and address the unique challenges refugees and immigrants face in accessing healthcare. Joining me today are a diverse group of guests, including Duncan Reid from the International Medicine Clini...

James Achuli is a refugee student studying International Relations at the University of British Columbia. He first arrived in Calgary, Canada in February 2022 as a refugee. At the immigration office, James was asked about his identity and where he came from. He shared his experiences of being born during the civil war in Sudan, growing up as an internally displaced person, and witnessing the destruction caused by war. Despite the hardships, James was determined to receive an education and recei...

In this episode of "Healthcare for Humans" from the North American Refugee Conference, Dr. Raj Sundar records guest Boban Sojanovic, a Serbian Canadian peace and LGBTQ+ human activist, to share his incredible journey of resilience and hope. B Boban faced death threats in his homeland and had to flee to Canada, where he dealt with melanoma and the suicide of his father. Through poetry and therapy, Boban found healing and transformed his pain into a source of strength. Dr. Sundar emphasizes the i...

This episode features Dr. Suzanne Barakat, a family physician and executive director of the Health and Human Rights Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Barakat shares her experiences and expertise in working with refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons, shedding light on the terminology, history, and challenges these marginalized communities face. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling to create empathy and change, discussing the emotional toll on storyt...

Aliyah Haq is an experienced registered dietitian with a career spanning 25 years. As the former president of Nutrition First, a prominent public health organization, she spearheaded a nationwide program emphasizing the importance of holistic nutrition education. In this episode of "Healthcare for Humans," host Dr. Raj Sundar and guest Aliyah Haq delve into the topic of culturally sensitive nutrition counseling. They stress the importance of building trust and understanding with patients, ackno...

Join me, Dr. Raj Sundar, and my colleague Maha Razzaki, as we navigate the complex terrain of cultural competence, humility, and safety in healthcare. Listen in as we delve into the differences between these concepts and their impact on providing culturally responsive care. Maha shares her experiences as a Program Manager for a Member Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Program, and we discuss the importance of listening to diverse community voices to build meaningful connections. (0:00:00) - Cult...

When I first met Dr. Ponce Gonzalez, I was struck by her passion for the Latinx community and her dedication to making a difference in their lives. In today's episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with her to discuss the unique challenges Latina workers face in the healthcare system and the complexities of the Latinx community. As the founder and executive director of the Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees, Dr. Ponce shared her story of being born in Nicaragua, th...

Be part of our community by visiting https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/support/. Follow us on Instagram @healthcareforhumanspodcast How can we make sense of suffering and create meaning in our lives through illness narratives? Join us as we welcome our special guest Odette, a family medicine physician who specializes in caring for the Latinx community, particularly undocumented individuals. In this captivating conversation, Odette shares her personal experiences with illness narratives in Gua...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Tagoipah, a second-generation Cham refugee from the greater Seattle area. Tagoipah shares the important distinction between refugees and immigrants and how their families and community were forced to flee Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge era. We also explore the rich history and identity of the Cham people, an indigenous minority group from Southeast Asia, and how their long history has been shaped by various empires and assimi...

In this episode, we dive deep into the Afro-Latino Latinx identity, as experienced by Sandra Huber from Panama to the United States, where her identity shifted from being simply Panamanian to being labeled as Hispanic, Latina, and eventually Afro-Latina. We discuss the challenges of navigating racial and coloristic oppression within Indian and Latin American communities, as well as within broader American society. We also touch on the importance of acknowledging and accepting one's blackness an...

In this episode, I share the inspiring journey of Dr. Duran, a family medicine resident who immigrated to the US from Mexico at the age of 14. Despite facing obstacles such as being undocumented and not having a Social Security number, Dr. Duran pursued higher education with the help of supportive individuals like her high school teacher, Mrs. Holland. We delve into the challenges Dr. Duran faced in financing her medical education and navigating the DACA program, as well as the impact it has on ...

In this episode of Healthcare for Humans, we talked to Dr. Garcia again and delve into the often-overlooked history of Mexican immigration in the United States and its connection to the labor market. From desperate times to discriminatory attitudes, we uncover the complex story of Mexican immigrants and their contributions to the country's workforce. We explore the structural causes that have shaped their history and highlight the need for accessible, safe, and responsive healthcare for all comm...

Dr. Jerry Garcia is a professor at Texas Christian University with expertise in teaching Chicano/Latino Studies, US History, and Mexican History. He was previously the Vice President for Educational Programs at Sea Mar Museum, where he curated the new Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture in Seattle, WA. His deep commitment to promoting education, diversity, and inclusion has made a positive impact on the educational landscape and beyond. Daniel Joaquin Padron is a Community Health Educa...

Next Step: Visit our website, Healthcare for Humans, and join our community to enjoy exclusive benefits at https://www.healthcareforhumans.org/support/ Earn CME Credits: Clinicians, enhance your learning by earning valuable continuing education credits while listening. Utilize your CME funds to join our community. Support Our Mission: Non-clinicians, explore exclusive content and contribute to our collective journey. Be an Active Participant: Go beyond listening. Shape our narrative by co-cr...

Ron Chew is an activist and changemaker. Since the mid-1970s, he has worked as editor of the International Examiner, director of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Experience, and as the executive director of the International Community Health Services Foundation (ICHS) for Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID). He is currently the head of Ron Chew Communications. Tessa Chu is a community organizer and healthcare administrator. She serves on the board of ICHS and the Asian Hea...

Ruolan Liu is a primary care physician who was born in Chengdu, China and immigrated to Portland, Oregon, with her parents when she was 9 years old. She spent the next two decades falling in love with the community, the people, and the rhythms of the Pacific Northwest. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. After listening to this, you will be able to: Explain the different types of Chinese cuisine Describe the idea of “food as medicine” Specify how you can incorporate patients' community knowl...

Dr. Connie So joins us today to talk about the history of the Chinese American history. Dr. Connie So, an immigrant from Hong Kong, grew up in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. She has taught at UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Princeton University and the University of Washington. Since 1992, she has taught at the University of Washington’s American Ethnic Studies Department where she is a Professor of Teaching and the Supervisor of the Department’s Community Practicum and Internship. She is active ...

This is Part II of our conversation on the Cambodian community with Jennifer Huong, a DSHS-certified Khmer interpreter and one of the founders of the Khmer Health Board Member. She was born in Kampong Cham, raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, escaped to Thailand refugee camps in 1981 and resettled in Salem, Oregon in mid-July 1983. She has been advocating for the community for the last 30 years as a Cultural Mediator/Caseworker and Medical Interpreter. In this conversation, you will Understand how...

Part I of our conversation on the Cambodian community with James Heng, a DSHS-certified Khmer interpreter and Khmer Health Board Member. In his free time, he organizes concerts and entertains the Khmer community in WA state. In this conversation, you will Understand the trauma many Khmer hold that you likely never think about Learn the perils of using a family or staff for interpreting without thinking twice Hear why there's such a stigma around mental health or being open to a diagnosis of ...

This is part II of our conversation with Dr. Avantika Waring. Avantika is an Endocrinologist focusing on caring for people living with diabetes. She has worked with patients in various clinical settings for over 15 years and is currently the Chief Medical Officer at 9amHealth. Her clinical passion is the development of technology-enabled care delivery models that are equitable and culturally inclusive. She is originally from New Jersey but has lived on the west coast since 2009 and currently res...

Amy Bhatt, Ph.D. is a writer, educator, and content creator. She received her B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Emory University and her Ph.D. in Feminist Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She is the author of High-Tech Housewives: Indian IT Workers, Gendered Labor, and Transmigration (University of Washington Press, 2018) and co-author of Roots and Reflections: South Asians in the Pacific Northwest (University of Washington Press, 2013) with Dr. Nalini ...

This is part II of our conversation with Joseph Seia. Joseph is the Co-Executive Director of the National Association of Pasifika Organizations (NAOPO) and the founder of PICA-WA (Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington). To hear the introduction to this topic and the full guest intro, please listen to the previous episode. In part II, we dig deeper into several topics: decades of erasure and policy that have led to health disparities like the high rate of police killings ad homel...